China: First excavators reach core disaster zone near mudslide-hit Xizang port.

Shotlist Gyirong County, Xigaze City, Xizang Autonomous Region, southwest China - Sept 1, 2026 1. Various of heavy machinery, rescuers working on site Storyline Emergency road-clearing efforts are underway in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, where the first batch of excavators reached the heart of the disaster zone near the mudslide-hit Gyirong Port on Monday evening. The lead excavator forged a path across a flooded section of road before being followed across by several others. Once across, the machinery began operations in an area that previously served as the port's parking lot. Rescue workers on the ground said the immediate priority is to stabilize and clear the inundated roadway, enabling more responders to reach the affected area on foot via a safer, more accessible route—rather than having to scale boulders along the flood's edge. At the same time, crews are reinforcing the roadbed along the waterlogged stretch to allow additional vehicles and heavy equipment to pass, accelerating the ongoing search and rescue efforts. The deadly mudslide on August 26, which was triggered by the collapse of a high-altitude glacier on the Nepalese side, has left at least 16 people dead and 546 others missing in Gyirong, according to the regional government. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]